A Thousand Years
by Soul Reaver
Summary: An view of what happened to Victor Garibaldi after the end of the Schism, a songfic based on the lyrics of A Thousand Years, by Sting.


A Thousand Years  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego characters that appear in this fanfic.  
  
Victor Garibaldi's wanderings lasted for nearly two days as he walked about through his favorite Orlando attractions, trying to ease the pain. That's what he loved about Orlando, it's cheesy tourist traps and his favorite way to celebrate a successful case was to go to one and spend the day there. Somehow it seemed hollow now.  
  
As he wandered about one of his favorite theme parks, EPCOT Center, he looked about part of him hoping to see one red haired head among the crowd. Part of him knew it was idiotic but that didn't stop him from doing it. He began to hear the soul rending beginning of one of his favorite songs, A Thousand Years. As it did, thoughts began to enter his mind, memories of Ivy and those two weeks that were both the best and worst of his life.  
  
A thousand years, a thousand more  
  
A thousand times a million doors to eternity  
  
I may have lived a thousand lives, a thousand times  
  
An endless turning stairway climbs  
  
To a tower of souls  
  
If it takes another thousand years, a thousand wars,  
  
The towers rise to numberless floors in space  
  
I could shed another million tears, a million breaths,  
  
A million names but only one truth to face  
  
It became clear to Victor that she was gone and there was nothing he could do. It occurred to him that he hadn't finished Ivy's letter.  
  
Dearest Victor,  
  
I know you don't deserve this to happen to you, and all I can say is I'm sorry. I love you but I can't stay. It's strange how Acme, the way we met, has also become what drove us apart. I have my responsibilities at Acme too and as much as I want to stay with you, I can't.  
  
Don't give up on your dreams Victor, if you do that would break my heart more than this. I realize I was leaning on you too much for strength. I've learned so much from you, loyalty, courage, how to care for someone.  
  
I don't blame me if you hate me forever for this, but please try not too…  
  
Love,  
  
1 Ivy  
  
Every word of that letter burned into his mind like a brand through leather. Yet he kept reading on, for as he read it felt like he was hearing her voice reading the words aloud to him. He tried to read it again, but his eyes were blurry and defocused.  
  
Must be raining. He thought, but not a drop fell as he reached out his hand to the air. He carefully folded the letter and put it in the inner pocket of his beat up brown leather jacket. The song lyrics continued to flow, they were so true.  
  
A million roads, a million fears  
  
A million suns, ten million years of uncertainty  
  
I could speak a million lies, a million songs,  
  
A million rights, a million wrongs in this balance of time  
  
But if there was a single truth, a single light  
  
A single thought, a singular touch of grace  
  
Then following this single point, this single flame,  
  
This single haunted memory of your face  
  
And then the last bit of childhood softness vanished from his features like melting snow, at some point in midday. "That's it, from now on I'm flying solo. Nobody's getting close. Nobody. No matter how smart, how sweet, how attractive she is. No friend, no lover, nobody is worth this kind of pain." Victor Garibaldi swore to himself.  
  
He knew now what he had to do, go to the local Army recruitment office, sign up, and get the hell out of this town. He could always become a warrant officer if he wanted to fly but now he didn't give a damn about flying, just getting the hell out of this town.  
  
The car rolled along the road and stopped in front of the Army recruitment office. After talking to the recruiter, Victor Garibaldi signed the papers went to get processed and after leaving his car in care of the Acme motor pool, prepared to go on to Basic training.  
  
I still love you  
  
I still want you  
  
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves  
  
Like galaxies in my head  
  
He waited in the airport with other Army recruits, as they waited for their flight and the bus ride to Basic training. As he waited, he looked over the Army materials that the processing station personnel had given him. Among the few things he took with him was Ivy's letter.  
  
Face it Garibaldi, you still care about her. No matter what you try and say to yourself part of you still does care. A cautionary thought sounded. The music flowed on again through his mind. It was like a CD on repeat that would not cease, a song that seemed to have been melded into his soul.  
  
  
  
I may be numberless, I may be innocent  
  
I may know many things, I may be ignorant  
  
Or I could ride with kings and conquer many lands  
  
Or win this world at cards and let it slip my hands  
  
I could be cannon food, destroyed a thousand times  
  
Reborn as fortune's child to judge another's crimes  
  
Or wear this pilgrim's cloak, or be a common thief  
  
I've kept this single faith, I have but one belief  
  
It echoed through his mind throughout boot camp, with yelling drill sergeants and harried recruits running all around. It bounced like a rubber ball through his head as he graduated Basic training, and proceeded to become a member of a crash site investigation unit with the 101st Airborne Division.  
  
"You forget how to salute, private?" a second lieutenant, a helicopter pilot walking by asked.  
  
"No sir." Garibaldi replied.  
  
"See to it you don't forget." Said the lieutenant.  
  
"Yes sir." Garibaldi replied. The pilot walked off, leaving Garibaldi, standing guard duty, alone with his M-16 and his thoughts.  
  
I still love you  
  
I still want you  
  
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves  
  
Like galaxies in my head  
  
On and on the mysteries unwind themselves  
  
Eternities still unsaid  
  
'Til you love me 


End file.
